AMI season brings discipline, pride to JROTC

By Sydney Olden Editor in Chief Every year, when AMI season starts creeping up at Crete-Monee High School, you can actually feel the shift in our JROTC unit. The naval science hallway gets a little busier, a little louder, and suddenly everyone is double-checking their uniform,fixing a ribbon here, straightening a cover there.

JROTC cadets wear their uniforms to school. Photo by Myleigh Ryba.

It doesn’t matter if someone’s a brand-new cadet or a seasoned chief; we all start tightening up. For me, AMI isn’t just some inspection we have to get through. It’s the moment that shows whether everything we’ve practiced all year has really paid off. And guiding us through all of it is Petty Officer Reed.

The thing about Petty Officer Reed is that he never has to shout to make a point. You can just tell what he expects the moment he walks into the room: discipline, preparation, and a quiet kind of pride. Not the show-off kind, but the kind that comes from knowing you did things the right way. In the weeks before AMI, he reminds us over and over that our uniform reflects who we are. Every ribbon should be straight, every thread trimmed, every shoe shined until we can practically see our reflection.

But what Reed really pushes for is ownership. He’s always telling us, “This is your unit, not mine.” For the chiefs, that means stepping up,teaching the younger cadets, fixing gig lines, drilling us until our movements are crisp. For newer cadets like me, it means being willing to learn, accepting corrections, and not making excuses. When something’s off maybe my cover is crooked or my shoe isn’t shining, he doesn't get mad all the time . He just asks, “Is this your best?” Somehow, that simple question hits way harder than any lecture.

Inspection day always feels intense. The uniforms seem sharper, the voices louder, even the air feels different. Standing there in formation, waiting for the inspecting officer to pause in front of me, my heart is pounding. But even with the nerves, there’s this quiet confidence underneath it all like I know I’m ready.” PO Reed always tells us that AMI isn’t about being perfect, it's about showing that we care about our unit, about each other, and about the standards we represent.

When it’s all finally over, PO Reed doesn’t just praise us for looking sharp. Instead, he acknowledges how we worked together and held ourselves accountable. That’s what he truly expects from his cadets and chiefs not just to hit the standard for one day, but to live it every day. And honestly, that’s what we keep striving for, year after year.